Working Moms - Putting Yourself First

Posted 1 year ago

Like many working moms, I'm a proud working mother to three beautiful boys, I am an authority when it comes to this topic. Or rather, when it comes to NOT putting myself first. I have a house full of cleaning, laundry, soccer practices, and many, many other things going on everyday. Most days, I don't put myself first on any list, not even in the top ten. That is about to change. I have looked into ways to put yourself back on that priority list and here are some helpful hints.
Make sure you are a priority: When mom's stressed or burnt out, everyone in the house suffers. Even a baby gets fussy when his mother is upset. Older children may respond to a tense mom by acting out.
If you take an hour or two to yourself, for whatever nourishes you, the rest of the day (or week) will be easier and more fun. Your family will enjoy having an energetic and refreshed mom, even if they complain about your absence. Bottom line: by paying attention to your own needs, you'll actually be better at meeting everyone else's.
Make sure you are getting enough sleep: Stress and sleep deprivation release cortisol into your bloodstream, which triggers fat storage around your waist. No wonder it's so hard to lose that pregnancy weight while getting up every three hours with a new baby!
Not only is it demoralizing to carry more weight than your ideal, it increases your risk of developing heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and arthritis, among other conditions. And we all want to live long enough to play with our grandkids, maybe even see them get married, right?
So the next time you're tempted to stay up until midnight sorting, folding, and putting away everyone's laundry, go to sleep instead. You can just dress the kids out of baskets of clean laundry. Similarly, taking your work lunch break to exercise can actually give you a burst of energy and make the afternoon more productive.
Don't be Superwoman! So many working moms fall into the Superwoman trap, thinking we have to be in charge of everything because we're the only one who will do it right. That mentality not only overloads you with work, it doesn't give enough credit to your other family members. Even worse, it prevents them from learning skills that can lighten your load and make them feel more capable.
Try leaving the kids with their dad or grandfather for a Saturday morning while you have brunch with your girlfriends. He may not change the diapers as often as you would, or feed them perfectly balanced meals, but I bet they'll have fun. And not only will he feel rightly proud of his caregiving ability, your children will develop independence, seeing that they're all right without mom hovering nearby all weekend.
Try just a few of these this week and see what a difference it makes in your life! Working Moms, put yourselves first once in a while!